Boss of fake government agency arrested after weeks on the run

Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who called himself the Director‑General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), was detained in the south‑western state of Osun after a warrant was issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja for forgery and impersonation when he failed to appear at a hearing.

The PFIPC, which was proclaimed last year with a supposed budget of 1.3bn naira (about $950,000) and an office in the Federal Secretariat, has been exposed as a sham. Forensic analysis confirmed that the appointment letter bearing the signature of President Bola Tinubu’s chief of staff had been forged.

President Tinubu ordered a corruption investigation into the fictitious agency earlier this month. The arrest marks the end of weeks of evasion by Adeyemi, who had maintained his innocence in local media but could not attend the court hearing.

Police from the Force Intelligence Department and Intelligence Response Team were involved in the operation, and Adeyemi is expected to be taken to the police headquarters in Abuja for further questioning. He may face additional charges under Nigeria’s anti‑corruption laws.

Civil society groups, opposition politicians and senior lawyers have called for an independent inquiry, citing concerns that similar fake agencies could undermine legitimate investment promotion efforts.

By Mansur Abubakar, Abuja